Cambodia is located in the tropical region with a humid and warm climate which
facilitates tree growth. According to the records of 1970, forests covered 73%
of the surface of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Due to over two decades of war, over
exploitation and uncontrolled logging, the forests have decreased considerably.
Estimates of forest cover now range from 63% (Japan Forest Technical Association
(JAFTA) 1995) to 30% (Global Witness 1995). JAFTA's estimate is used by the
Department of Forestry, and is shown below:

Table 8: Land Classification of Cambodia

Classification

Area (hectares)

Percentage of Land Cover

Evergreen Forest

4,369,820

23.1

Mixed Forest

2,323,789

12.3

Deciduous Forest

3,726,677

19.7

Wood and Scrubland

1,025,071

5.4

Pine Forest

1,090

0.0

Mangrove Forest

16,498

0.1

Rear Mangrove Forest

17,665

0.1

Flooded Forest

481,225

2.6

Flooded Area

1,066,613

5.6

Grass/Scattered Trees

2,553,081

13.5

Rice Fields

1,825,319

9.7

Rubber Plantation

39,977

0.2

Orchards/Other Trees

108,630

0,6

Slash and Bum

3,571

0.0

Town

2,024

0.0

Water

1,340,858

7.1

Other Surfaces

1,198

0,0

TOTAL

18,903,106

100.0

Source; JAFTA, 1995

The forest area (in hectares) of the provinces researched during this study is as follows:

Province

Total Land Area

Forest Area

Share of Forest Area

Kampong Speu

68,581,425

47,291,825

69%

Kampong Chhnang

540,599

267,954

50%

Kampong Thom

1,300,831

775,794

60%

Kratie

1,200,137

1,072,095

89%

Pursat

1,237,520

946,053

76%

Source; JAFTA, 1995

Of the five provinces which supply wood energy to Phnom Penh, Kratie, Kampong Thom and Kampong Speu were selected for more detailed study, and a brief observation visit was undertaken in Kampong Chhnang. Areas were selected for detailed study according to the level of security in the province, and its proximity to the provincial centre.

The results given in this section are from the study areas only and not for the whole of the supply area.

The research team spent 4 days conducting studies in Kratie Province. The source of firewood for Phnom Penh is off-cuts from sawmills in the area, particularly those located along the Mekong River. Charcoal is supplied to Phnom Penh from the districts of Prek Prasap, Sambo, Kratie and Chhlong. The focus of this study was Prek Prasap, directly across the Mekong River from Kratie town. Prek Prasap was selected for study as it is the main charcoal producing area in Kratie Province.

· Overview of the Study Area

Prek Prasap consists of eight communes, of which three produce charcoal. These are Prek Prasap, Sob and Chroy Banteay. These three areas have a population of 3,522 families, of which 218 produce charcoal. Charcoal producers therefore account for a small proportion of the villagers. The majority of the families are farmers who are also involved in collecting wood for the producers, especially in the dry season. Migration is rare in the region, and other employment opportunities include growing rice, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, and working for the logging companies.

· Harvesting

Prek Prasap is an area with abundant natural forests. Trees used for charcoal production are cut from the natural forest, including from some concession areas about 7-15 km from the villages. Some families collect the branches which are left after the companies finish exploiting the concession areas. Ox-carts, and sometimes trucks, are used to transport wood to the charcoal kilns.

· Land Tenure

All the families, except for recent immigrants, have land title so are able to earn a living as farmers.

· Living Conditions

Most of the families are poor but have good housing and own land, and are therefore better off than many families in other wood energy supply areas. In the villages, the firewood collectors are the poorest, and they have to live in the forest if they have no means of transport. Charcoal producers hire workers, and sometimes lend money to people to buy trucks to transport wood. They themselves may be in debt to traders in Phnom Penh due to having barrowed money to build kilns. Boat owners act as middlemen buying from several producers to transport to Phnom Penh, and usually they can buy very cheaply as producers are often in debt and have to accept a low price.

· Local Energy Sources

People in this region use firewood or very poor quality charcoal which they would not be able to sell. LPG, kerosene and electricity are not available, but a few richer families have small generators which can be used to recharge batteries for lighting.

Information gathered at Psa Toch in Phnom Penh gave the results shown in Table 9.

Table 9 shows that the annual supply of firewood by river to Phnom Penh was 25,248 steres. This firewood is supplied to various brick and tile kilns as well as other handicrafts production units and households within Phnom Penh.

Quantity Produced in Prek Prasap

· Wood collected for charcoal production: The number of charcoal kilns is shown in Table 10, with quantities of firewood consumed in Table 11. The tables show a total of 252 kilns requiring 45,354 steres of firewood to produce 6,204 tonnes of charcoal per year. Generally, a 6m kiln uses 32 steres of wood to produce 4-5 tonnes, 6 times a year, but this depends very much on the species of wood.

· Wood collected for sale as firewood: Firewood from Kratie province is supplied as off-cuts from sawmills. Therefore, the study team was unable to conduct this part of the survey.

Charcoal is produced in the three districts of Kratie, Sambo and Prek Prasap. The study focused on Prek Prasap as it is the main producing area.

In Prek Prasap there are 252 kilns as shown in Table 10. The kilns in this area are built along the river, behind the producers' homes. They are large, permanent and built with bricks.

Table 10: Charcoal Producing Families and Kilns in Prek Prasap

Commune

Number of Villages

Number of Families

Families Producing Charcoal

Number of Kilns by Size (m)

Total Number of Kilns

3

4

5

6

7

Prek Prasap

5

1190

71

10

19

20

29

0

78

Sob

6

1522

114

2

16

53

67

3

141

Chroy Banteay

5

810

33

1

0

27

5

0

33

TOTAL

16

3522

218

13

35

100

101

3

252

Quantity of Charcoal Produced

The charcoal kilns operate throughout the year, and the annual production is shown in Table 11. It can be seen that 45,354 steres of firewood are used to produce 6,204 tonnes of charcoal.

Table 11: Quantity of Charcoal Produced in Prek Prasap

Kiln Size

Number of Kilns

Firewood Used per Kiln (steres)

Charcoal Produced per Kiln (ton)

Cycles per year

Firewood Used per Year (steres)

Charcoal Produced per Year (ton)

3

13

11

1.51

9

1,287

177

4

35

18

2.48

8

5,040

693

5

100

27

3.67

7

18,900

2,566

6

101

32

4.40

6

19,392

2,666

7

3

49

6.74

5

735

101

TOTAL

252

45,354

6,204

Note: Sacks of charcoal in Prek Prasap are calculated as weighing 55 kg per sack, but in fact they are packed at Chhbar Ampeou with each sack weighing 60 kg.

Description of Charcoal Kilns

Charcoal kilns in this area are mostly built with bricks and are 3-7 metres in diameter. A kiln consumes 10-50 steres of firewood during each cycle. Each kiln has:

· a door to load and unload the kiln

· a chimney (bottle-shaped) located in front of the fireplace

· a fireplace for wood to fire the kiln

· small emission holes located around the kiln to ensure wind enters in the first stages of burning, and sealed after 15 days.

A circle is prepared on the ground, around which the bricks are arranged and the kiln built. The kilns are covered with clay to seal them. After the fireplace is constructed, a roof is made from palm leaves and thatch to protect the kiln from rain.

The amount of firewood loaded depends on the size of the kiln. The wood is arranged vertically, beginning in the middle with the longest pieces. The chimney and emission holes are sealed part way through the cycle to prevent the firewood burning to ash.

At the end of the cycle the door and chimney are opened, and the charcoal must be removed quite quickly to prevent the still carbonising wood from burning. The small emission holes are opened after a third of the charcoal has been removed because the remainder is still hot. The holes are resealed whilst the charcoal cools down.

These kilns can be used for over 7 years.

Charcoal Traders and Transportation

In Prek Prasap, 45 of the 218 charcoal traders were interviewed. These interviews revealed that:

Studies at Kbal Chroy and Chhbar Ampeou in Phnom Penh reveal that 9 boat loads of charcoal are brought to Phnom Penh each month. The average load of a boat is 40 tonnes which is about 667 sacks. Therefore charcoal transported annually is:

9 boats x 40 tonnes x 12 months = 4,320 tonnes.

It was noted that charcoal produced at Prek Prasap also goes to Kampong Cham, and by road to Prey Veng and Svay Rieng.

The study team spent 4 days in Kampong Thom focusing on three communes within Santuk District. The sources of firewood for Phnom Penh are the sawmills, and as such were outside the scope of the survey in the supply areas. Charcoal is mostly produced in Santuk District, which therefore became the focus of the study.

· Overview of the Study Area

Santuk District consists of 9 communes, 3 of which - Tipo, Kakoh and Chroab - produce charcoal. Kakoh and Chroab are located along National Route 6, but Tipo is closer to the forest, about 15 km from the road. These communes contain 24 villages and 3,349 families asshown in Table 12. In 1996, the Provincial Forestry Department banned charcoal production in the area around Phnom Santuk, and many of the kilns were destroyed. The ban is unlikely to be successful because the villagers are poor and have no immediate alternate form of income generation. Many families, however, are planting cashew trees, re-establishing an industry which was well developed before 1975. Otherwise, income is generated through growing rice, vegetables, fruit and fishing.

· Harvesting

Trees are cut from Srah Khachao and Phnom Penchum, about 13 km from the road, and trees cut during land clearance for agriculture are collected. Scrubland is now also being cleared in preparation for cashew plantations. Tree trunks are generally used to produce charcoal, whilst the branches are used for local cooking needs.

· Land tenure

Most families own land on which they can grow rice and other crops. As elsewhere, this applies only to families who lived in the village in 1979. Newer migrants clear land for themselves but have no land title.

· Living Conditions

Poor people in the area were described as those without cows to plough the fields, those with no land and those with big families, and these families clear tree stumps to take land and work for richer families. Wealthy families on the other hand were defined as those with a surplus rice harvest, and those able to stockpile charcoal to sell at high prices during the wet season. Some charcoal traders fall into the latter category, whilst some producers are poorer, often in debt after borrowing to build kilns.

Kampong Thom is experiencing a revival of the cashew industry, which was well developed by the Provincial Agriculture Department throughout the 1960s, and families can earn a good income from traders in Phnom Penh. Currently, 1 kg can earn 1,200R, with a good tree being capable of producing upto 100 kg in a season.

· Local Energy Sources

In the study area, households use firewood collected from paddy dykes and cashew plantations, and poor quality charcoal for cooking. Kerosene is used for lighting, and wealthier families use batteries. There is no LPG or electricity available.

Wood collected for charcoal production; The number of charcoal kilns is shown in Table 12, with quantities of firewood consumed in Table 13. The tables show a total of 130 kilns requiring 13,185 steres of firewood to produce 1,813 tonnes of charcoal. The amount of firewood used and charcoal produced is dependent on the size of the kiln, species of tree and arrangement of wood in the kiln.

Wood collected for sale as firewood: The supply of firewood from Kampong Thom and Kampong Cham to Phnom Penh are off-cuts which are collected by traders from various sawmills within these 2 provinces. Therefore, the study team was unable to conduct this part of the survey.

Firewood Traders and Transportation

Information gathered at checkpoints along National Route 6A shows that about 1.5 - 2.5 steres of off-cuts come into Phnom Penh each day through this route. So, the total quantity of firewood is:

Of the 3 communes studied in Santuk, Tipo produced the most charcoal. In Santuk there are 130 kilns and 19 stores, as shown in Table 12. The kilns are small, earthen and temporary. Generally a 3m kiln produces 18 to 20 sacks of charcoal from 13 to 17 oxcarts of wood (where 1 oxcart is about 1 stere). During the dry season, each kiln can produce charcoal twice each month, but in the wet season approximately 20% of the kilns operate to produce charcoal once a month. The kilns in this area are in the forest and were inaccessible to the study team, and therefore the exact number of kilns is difficult to assess.

Table 12: Charcoal Producing Families and Kilns in Santuk District

Commune

Number of Villages

Number of Families

Number of Kilns by Size (m)

Total Number of Kilns

Total Number of Stores

2

2.5

3

Tepo

11

1,069

51

46

9

106

0

Kokoh

10

1,551

2

9

4

15

11

Chroap

3

729

0

5

4

9

8

TOTAL

24

3,349

53

60

17

130

19

Table 13: Charcoal Produced in Santuk District

Size of Kiln

Production in Dry Season

Production in Wet Season

Average Firewood Use Per Kiln (stere)

Average Charcoal Produced (kg)

Firewood Used/Year (stere)

Charcoal Produced/Year (ton)

Number of Kilns

Cycles Per 6 Months

Number of Kilns

Cycles Per Year

2

43

12

10

18

6

825

4,176

574

2.5

48

12

12

18

9

1,238

7,128

980

3

14

9

3

15

11

1,513

1,881

259

TOTAL

105

25

13,185

1,813

Quantity of Charcoal Produced

On an annual basis, 13,185 steres of firewood are used to produce 1,813 tonnes of charcoal, as shown in Table 13. However, the amount of charcoal produced is dependent on the species of wood used.

Description of Charcoal Kilns

The kilns in this area are mostly earthen. A hole is dug of 2-3 metres in diameter, and each kiln consumes 6-11 steres of firewood per cycle, depending on the size of the kiln.

A circular hole, 1 metre deep is dug, and the fireplace and chimneys are dug around the hole. Wood is arranged vertically in the hole, with the longest pieces in the middle and shorter pieces placed around the outside. The wood is then covered with earth from termite mounds. The earth is mixed with water and consists of 3 parts of termite earth and 1 part of sand, and covers the wood to a thickness of 10-20 cm. The earth is covered with a thin layer of straw to reduce the possibility of cracks. The kiln is left to dry for 3-4 days before firing. These kilns last for 5-7 years.

Traders and Transportation

The study revealed that in Kokoh and Chroap communes there are 19 charcoal stores, supplying the markets of Phnom Penh, and one which sells to the districts of Barai and Kampong Tropbai in Kampong Thom Province. Store owners sell 3-4 sacks of charcoal per day and it is transported to Phnom Penh by car. The amount of charcoal produced annually in Santuk to supply Phnom Penh is:

This study focused on two villages in the districts of Kampong Tralach and Samaki Meanchay during an observation day. Firewood and charcoal from Kampong Chhnang are also transported to Phnom Penh from other areas of the province by train. However, it was not possible to visit those areas due to security issues, so the study area was quite limited.

· Overview of the Study Area

Anglongton, located in Longvek Commune of Kampong Tralach, and Speanpo, located in Samaki Meanchay, are about 10 km north of Oudong market, along National Route 5. The villages include 40 families, most of the families are charcoal traders, whilst the charcoal producers are in villages closer to the forest.

· Harvesting

Wood is collected from Phnom Chomreay and Phnom Khmao, 30 - 40 km to the west of the National Route 5. The whole tree is cut to provide wood to the charcoal kilns located in the same area. Wood is also collected from Phnom Oral which borders the 3 provinces of Kampong Speu, Kampong Chhnang and Pursat. Firewood from other areas of Kampong Chhnang is taken to railway stations within the province.

· Land Tenure

The original inhabitants of the area own land that they were allocated by the Village Chief in 1979. Newcomers, however, are not granted land title.

· Local Energy Sources

Families in this area use firewood for cooking meals, and batteries and kerosene for lighting.

It was estimated from information gained from the charcoal traders in the study area, that 46,720 steres of firewood was collected for charcoal production. Calculations were based on the standard conversion of 2.5 sacks of charcoal being produced from 1 stere of firewood. No firewood is supplied to Phnom Penh from this area.

· Along the Railway

The study team was unable to visit this area due to problems with access and security. The same train also collects firewood and charcoal from Pursat. As it is not possible to differentiate the amounts of woodfuels corresponding to each province, they have been calculated together.

Wood Collected for Charcoal Production

Estimates from Pochentong Railway Station suggest that 18,000 sacks are supplied to Phnom Penh each year. The firewood required to produce this amount is about 7,200 steres.

Wood Collected for Sale as Firewood

According to the study at Pochentong Railway Station, the amount of firewood collected and supplied by train is about 39,960 steres each year.

· Annual Quantity of Firewood Collected

The total quantity of firewood supplied to charcoal kilns in Kampong Chhnang and Pursat provinces is:

46,720 steres + 7,200 steres = 53,920 steres

and the quantity supplied for sale as firewood is 39,960 steres, giving a total of 93,880 steres.

· Firewood Traders and Transportation

National Route 5

No firewood is transported this way from Kampong Chhnang.

Railway

The study conducted at Pochentong Railway Station showed that three wagons with a capacity of 74 steres are loaded with firewood. Each wagon contains 15,000 hands of firewood where one hand is 3 split logs and one stere is equal to 201 hands. Each wagon is therefore able to transport approximately 74 steres. Firewood is transported every 2 days, meaning it is brought 15 times a month. The total quantity of firewood transported over a month is:

Location of Supply and Production: Kampong Tralach and Samaki Meanchay

Charcoal Kilns and Stores

Charcoal kilns are temporary and made of earth. Interviews showed that one kiln requires 12 ox-carts of wood (where 1 ox-cart = 1 stere) to produce 16 sacks of charcoal during a 15 day cycle.

Quantity of Charcoal Produced

The quantity of charcoal was estimated using information gained from the traders in the study area (see below under National Route 5).

Along the Railway

Charcoal Kilns and Stores

Information could not be gained due to problems of access and security.

Quantity of Charcoal Produced

Estimates were made using information collected at Pochentong Railway Station (see below under Railway).

Traders and Transportation

National Route 5

As the kilns are located away from the road, the charcoal is brought to stores in the study area at the end of each cycle. There are 17 charcoal stores in the village of Anglongton and 23 in the village of Speanpo.

Charcoal is sold daily from Kampong Chhnang. The average supply of charcoal from each store to Phnom Penh is 8 sacks a day. The charcoal is transported to Phnom Penh by trucks and moto-carts. The annual supply is:

8 sacks x 40 stores x 365 days = 116,800 sacks = 6,424 tonnes.

Railway

A quantity of charcoal from Kampong Chhnang and Pursat provinces is transported by train to Phnom Penh. The team was able to assess the incoming flow of charcoal at Pochentong Station. It was found that approximately 110 sacks of charcoal arrive every 2 days. Therefore, the annual charcoal supply to Phnom Penh is:

50 sacks x 365 days = 18,250 sacks = 1,004 tonnes.

Total Quantity of Charcoal Supplied to Phnom Penh

The total annual supply of charcoal to Phnom Penh from Kampong Chhnang and Pursat is therefore:

Wood energy from Kampong Speu is supplied to Phnom Penh through National Routes 4 and 5. However, the study area was limited to a small section of National Route 4. The research team spent 4 days conducting studies in Phnom Srouch district. Treng Trayeng commune has 6 villages with 887 families, but the study focused on Dey Ambel, Veal Veng and Pichnil. This area was selected because the villages are very close to Kirirom National Park, and as such, firewood collection is an important consideration for the Ministry of Environment in its National Park Management Plans. This region is considered to be a main supply area for Phnom Penh (MoE/MAFF/CEMP 1997). The villagers have been completely reliant on natural resources from the forest since 1979. The area at that time had a lower population, but after 1993 security in the area improved allowing more people to move in and settle there. All the people in the area have migrated from Kandal, Prey Veng, Svay Reing, Takeo and other areas of Kampong Speu provinces, where they had no land title.

Overview of the Study Area

Veil Veng

Veil Veng, established in 1990, is located along the road into Kirirom National Park. It is located within a military development zone, which means that land is given to military families moving into the area, but has not been recognised by the local authority. Families are moving into Veil Veng from unsafe areas such as Krang Dey Vai, and others located to the north of Kirirom National Park. The majority of people here are poor and have no land to farm. Of the 50 families in the village, 5 make their living by producing charcoal, 35 from cutting trees to sell as firewood, and 10 are hired as guards by land owners. Trees are collected from the natural forest and areas cleared for agriculture, so trees are not cut primarily for firewood or charcoal production.

Dey Ambel

In Dey Ambel, 83 families are registered with the local authority, but in fact there are 123, although some of these are seasonal migrants who move to Dey Ambel during the dry season. During this study the temporary residents had returned to their home villages. Of the registered families, 4 sell charcoal, 43 collect firewood and 36 cut trees for sawmills and sell groceries.

Trees are cut from the area surrounding Kirirom National Park, 3 -15 km to the north of National Route 4 including O Cheuteal, O Kley and Kraing Dey Vai. Others collect from land undergoing clearance for agriculture, 2 -15 km to the south of National Road 4 towards the Koh Slah region of Kampot province.

Pichnil

Pichnil has 245 families, of whom 30% make their living by collecting firewood and producing charcoal. Another 60% cut trees to sell to the sawmills, and the remaining 10% sell groceries. Trees are cut from the north and south of National Route 4, including areas close to Kirirom National Park.

Harvesting Firewood

If trees are cut from a distance less than 5 km, the trunks are sold along the roadside, and the branches are collected for local firewood use. This is only carried out where families are clearing the forest for agriculture, and small branches, leaves and stems are left behind and burnt before rice and other crops can be grown. Over a longer distance, only the trunks are removed, and the branches are left behind in the forest. Firewood collectors must pay 2.000R per ox-cart to soldiers before they are allowed to enter the forest.

Land Tenure

Original residents of the area, especially around Pichnil were allocated land by the Village Chief, but new families do not qualify for this allocation. There were several reports, however, of new families buying land from other families, and original families selling their land to the military.

Living Conditions

Income levels vary in the region, although the majority of the people are poor. Wealthier or middlemen are rare, but they are the ones who rent ox-carts to poorer families, and are able to buy woodfuels cheaply in the dry season in order to sell them at higher prices during the wet season. Poorer families, on the other hand, rent the ox-carts at around 300-500R per sack of charcoal transported. They may also be in debt to traders in Phnom Penh due to having borrowed money to build their charcoal kilns.

Gender Division of Labour

Men generally go to collect wood and make charcoal, while women stay in the village to split, stack and sell the wood. Other job opportunities are few, and most of the people have no other experience.

Local Energy Sources

The local people use firewood and charcoal for cooking. Some people have batteries for lighting at night, but most of the people use kerosene for lighting.

The charcoal kilns in Veil Veng and Pichnil are shown in Table 14, with quantities of firewood consumed in Table 15. The tables show a total of 54 kilns requiring 6,561 steres of firewood to produce 902 tonnes of charcoal per year.

Wood Collected for Sale as Firewood

There are 114 families who go daily into the forest to collect 1 ox-cart of firewood, which equals to approximately 2 metres, or 1 conventional stere. Therefore, the annual collection of wood for sale as firewood is:

114 families x 1 stere x 365 days = 41,610 steres.

Location and Quantity Produced: Amleang Village

This village is located in Thpong District, close to the forest. The team could not, due to security problems, conduct the study directly in the areas where charcoal is produced. However, the study was conducted in Tep Bronom Village, Oudong District. This village collects firewood and charcoal from Amleang forest.

Wood Collected for Charcoal Production

It was estimated from information obtained at the checkpoints along National Route 5, that 2,450 sacks of charcoal produced in Amleang are transported to Phnom Penh each month. Total consumption of firewood to produce this amount of charcoal is:

2,450 sacks/2.5 sacks = 980 steres per month

Therefore, the annual consumption of firewood is 11,760 steres.

Wood Collected for Sale as Firewood

Firewood is transported from Tep Bronam village, to Phnom Penh through the National Route 5. The study showed that 10 families in this village make their living by selling firewood. About 250-400 steres are collected each month from Amleang Forest. It is estimated that the average quantity of firewood produced per year is

325 steres x 12 months = 3,900 steres

Annual Quantity of Firewood Collected

The total quantity of firewood collected for use and production of charcoal in Kampong Speu per year is:

18,321 steres for charcoal production45,510 steres for use as firewood

giving a grand total of 63,831 steres.

Firewood Traders and Transportation

National Route 4

National Route 4 is the main route to supply firewood and charcoal to Phnom Penh. There are 99 firewood depots in Treng Treyeng Commune, 36 of which sell bundles of firewood. Some of these are supplied to Kampong Speu provincial town, but mostly to Phnom Penh. According to the information obtained, each store generally sells 0.5 - 1.5 steres and 200-500 bundles of firewood per day. The monthly quantity of firewood supplied to Phnom Penh from Treng Treyeng is estimated to be 3,440 steres, amounting to 41,280 steres annually.

The incoming flow of firewood to Phnom Penh through National Route 5 was observed. According to information gathered in Trep Branam village, it was learnt that there are 10 firewood stores. Some firewood is used within Oudong district and the rest is supplied to Phnom Penh. The team was informed by store owners that in general each store sells 1 stere of firewood per day. Therefore, the monthly quantity of firewood from Amleang to Phnom Penh is 300 steres, amounting to 3,600 steres per year.

Annual Quantity of Firewood Supplied to Phnom Penh

The total supply of firewood to Phnom Penh from Kampong Speu is 44,880 steres.

In Trey Trayeng there are 54 charcoal kilns and 46 charcoal stores as shown in Table 14. The kilns in this area are fairly small, earthen and temporary. According to the study, the number of charcoal kilns could be higher than that indicated in Table 14. In Pichnil there are charcoal kilns in the forest which were inaccessible to the team, especially around Chamcacheikleu and Chamcacheikrom. The team could not obtain information from these areas because most of the charcoal producers are families of soldiers and the kilns are located inside the forest.

In the study area, 6,561 steres of firewood are used to produce 902 tonnes of charcoal per year, as shown in Table 15. Most of the kilns are built next to houses, with the remainder being in the forest. The charcoal kilns operate during the dry season, with each kiln able to produce twice a month. However, about 45% of the charcoal kilns operate during the wet season which produce charcoal once a month.

Table 15: Charcoal Produced in Tray Trayeng Commune

Size of Kiln

Production in Dry Season

Production over a Year

Average Firewood Use Per Kiln (stere)

Average Charcoal Produced (ton)

Firewood Used/Year (stere)

Charcoal Produced/Year (ton)

Number of Kilns

Cycles Per 6 Months

Number of Kilns

Cycles Per Year

2

7

12

5

18

6

0.83

1,044

144

2.5

15

12

10

18

9

1.24

3,240

446

3

8

9

9

15

11

1.51

2,277

313

TOTAL

30

24

6,561

902

The kilns in this area are similar to those in Kampong Thom. They are made of earth, are fairly small, and last for around 5-7 years.

Location of Supply and Production: Amleang

Charcoal Kilns and Stores

Due to problems with security and access, this part of the study could not be completed.

Quantity of Charcoal Produced

Information gained at checkpoints suggests that 29,400 sacks or 1,617 tonnes are produced annually.

Total Quantity of Charcoal Produced

The annual quantity of charcoal produced in this study area is:

902 tonnes + 1,617 tonnes = 2,519 tonnes.

Traders and Transportation

National Route 4

The study showed that in Trey Trayeng commune, there are 46 charcoal stores in the 3 villages which supply Phnom Penh. The owners of the stores reported selling 2.5 sacks of charcoal per day on average. Therefore, the annual amount of charcoal sold in this area to Phnom Penh is:

2.5 x 46 x 365 = 41,975 sacks or 2,309 kg.

National Route 5

A large quantity of charcoal from Kampong Speu province is transported by truck from Amleang forest along National Route 5 into Phnom Penh. Information was collected from Prek Phnoeuv checkpoint and showed that about 50 trucks of charcoal per month are brought this way, with each truck carrying 46-52 sacks. Therefore the annual supply of charcoal from the Amleang region is about

The quantity of firewood collected annually to produce charcoal and for sale as firewood is shown in Table 17. The table shows that 130,780 steres of firewood are used to produce charcoal and 85,470 steres of firewood are collected for immediate use. However, the firewood depots are estimated to sell 110,818 steres of firewood per year, a higher quantity than that found to be collected. The quantity of firewood transported to Phnom Penh through checkpoints is about 95,367 steres. Compared to the quantity shown in Table 17, this figure is low.

Table 17: Annual Collection and Supply of Firewood in the Study Areas (steres)

Province

Annual Firewood Production

Annual Supply of Firewood

Charcoal Production

Use as Firewood

Total

Road

Train

River

Total

Kampong Speu

18,32

45,510

63,831

44,880

-

-

44,880

Kampong Chhnang and Pursat

53,92

39,960

93,880

-

39,960

-

39,960

Kampong Thom and Kampong Cham

13,18

SM

13,185

730

-

-

730

Kratie, Kampong Cham and Kandal

45,35

SM

45,354

-

-

25,248

25,248

TOTAL

130,78

85,470

216,250

45,610

39,960

25,248

110,818

Note: SM denotes sawmill, and as such was outside the scope of this study. This table is calculated from the study areas only. Therefore, the figures are likely to be lower than the actual amounts produced in the provinces and supplied to Phnom Penh.

The quantity of charcoal produced was 10,536 tonnes per year and is shown in Table 18. However, the total quantity of charcoal supplied from the depots in the study areas each year is 16,957 tonnes. In comparison, the survey at the checkpoints indicated a quantity of 23,802 tonnes arriving in Phnom Penh annually.

Table 18: Annual Charcoal Production and Supply to Phnom Penh from the Study Areas

Province

Annual Charcoal Production (ton)

Annual Charcoal Supply to Phnom Penh

River (ton)

Road (ton)

Train (ton)

Total (ton)

Kratie

6,204

4,320

-

-

4,320

Kampong Thorn

1,813

-

1,265

-

1,265

Kampong Speu

2,519

-

3,926

-

3,926

Kampong Chhnang and Pursat

Not Studied

-

6,424

1,004

7,428

TOTAL

10,536

4,320

11,614

1,004

16,938

Note: This table is calculated from the study areas only. Therefore, the figures are likely to be lower than the actual amounts produced in the provinces and supplied to Phnom Penh.

Firewood collectors, charcoal producers and traders revealed several reasons for their involvement in the wood energy trade, which include:

· they are clearing the land for agricultural development· they have no land of their own, so are claiming forested areas· there is a lack of alternate employment after the rice harvest· the living standards are low, but they cannot do any other type of job· they do not have enough money to set up their own businesses· it provides employment during the dry season for temporary migrants· some have no implements or cows for farming.

The living standards of the people vary considerably. For instance, the living standards of the families in Kratie are relatively higher than those in Kampong Speu. The main differences were noted as follows:

Kratie

Kampong Speu

· own house with tiled roof

· no large houses

· land ownership for the majority

· land ownership for the minority

· means of production for farming

· no means of production

· families have large, brick built charcoal kilns

· families use small, earthen, temporary charcoal kilns

· majority of people have batteries for lighting

· few people have batteries for lighting

· most people were born in their village

· majority of people are migrants

The living standards of families employed in the wood energy trade in different provinces can be classified as follows:

· Kratie has the highest living standards.· Kampong Thom and Kampong Chhnang have fairly good living standards.· Kampong Speu has the lowest living standards.

However, Kampong Speu is the biggest supplier of wood energy to Phnom Penh.

The rural communities face some problems during their work which include:

· more time is spent travelling to the forest· difficulties in reaching the forest during the wet season· increased flooding which destroys rice fields and farm land· the need to rent ox-carts for transportation· payments are required to enter the forest· increasing threat of malaria due to deeper encroachment into the forest.